Ubuqili babeGibeyoni

9Kwasekusithi lapho wonke amakhosi ayenganeno kweJordani, entabeni, lesihotshenia, lekhunjini lolwandle olukhulu, maqondana leLebhanonib, amaHethi lamaAmori, amaKhanani, amaPerizi, amaHivi lamaJebusi ezwac, 2 abuthana ndawonye ukulwa loJoshuwa loIsrayeli nganhliziyonye.

3 Kwathi abahlali beGibeyonid sebezwile lokho uJoshuwa ayekwenzile eJeriko laseAyie, 4 labo basebesenza ngobuqili; bahamba bazenza izithunywa, bathwalisa obabhemi babo amasaka agugileyo lemigodla yewayini egugileyo ledabukileyo lebekelweyo, 5 lamanyathela agugileyo labekelweyo enyaweni zabof, lezigqoko ezigugileyo bezigqokile, lezinkwa zonke zomphako wabo sezomile zikhuntileg. 6 Basebesiya kuJoshuwa enkambeni eGiligalih, bathi kuye lemadodeni akoIsrayeli: Sivela elizweni elikhatshana, ngakho-ke yenzani isivumelwano lathi. 7 Kodwa amadoda akoIsrayeli athi kumaHivii: Mhlawumbe lihlala phakathi kwethu; pho, singenza njani isivumelwano lenuj? 8 Asesithi kuJoshuwa: Sizinceku zakhok. UJoshuwa wasesithi kiwo: Lingobani? Njalo livela ngaphi? 9 Asesithi kuye: Izinceku zakho zivela elizweni elikhatshana kakhulu, ngenxa yebizo leNkosi uNkulunkulu wakhol, ngoba sizwile indumela yayo lakho konke eyakwenza eGibhithem, 10 lakho konke eyakwenza emakhosini amabili amaAmori ayengaphetsheya kweJordani, uSihoni inkosi yeHeshiboni, loOgi inkosi yeBashani, eyayiseAshitarothin. 11 Ngakho abadala bethu labo bonke abakhileyo elizweni lakithi bakhuluma kithi besithi: Thathani umphako wendlela esandleni senu, lihambe liyehlangana labo, lithi kibo: Sizinceku zenu; ngakho-ke yenzani isivumelwano lathi. 12 Lesisinkwa sethu sasithatha sitshisa singumphako wethu ezindlini zethu mhla siphumayo sisiza kini; kodwa khathesi, khangela, sesomile sakhunta. 13 Lalimigodla yewayini esayigcwalisayo yayimitsha; kodwa khangela, isidabukile. Lalezizigqoko zethu lamanyathela ethu sekugugiswe luhambo olude kakhulu. 14 Ngakho amadoda athatha kokomphako wabo, engabuzanga umlomo weNkosio. 15 UJoshuwa wasesenza ukuthula labo, wenza isivumelwano labo sokubayekela baphile, lezinduna zenhlangano zafunga kibop.

16 Kwasekusithi ekupheleni kwensuku ezintathu emva kokuthi sebenzile isivumelwano labo, bezwa ukuthi bangomakhelwane babo, lokuthi babehlala phakathi kwabo. 17 Abantwana bakoIsrayeli basebesuka bafika emizini yabo ngosuku lwesithathu. Njalo imizi yabo yayiyiGibeyoni leKefira leBherothiq leKiriyathi-Jeyarimir. 18 Njalo abantwana bakoIsrayeli kababatshayanga ngoba izinduna zebandla zazibafungele ngeNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli; inhlangano yonke yasingungunela izinduna. 19 Kodwa zonke izinduna zathi enhlanganweni yonke: Thina sifungile kibo ngeNkosi, uNkulunkulu kaIsrayeli, ngakho-ke kasilakubathinta. 20 Sizakwenza lokhu kibo, sibayekele baphile, ukuze kungabi khona ulaka phezu kwethus ngenxa yesifungo esasifunga kibot. 21 Lezinduna zathi kubo: Bayekeleni baphile, kodwa kababe ngabagamuli benkuni labakhi bamanzi enhlanganweni yonkeu, njengokutsho kwezinduna kubov.

22 UJoshuwa wasebabiza, wakhuluma labo esithi: Lisikhohliseleni, lisithi: Sikhatshana kakhulu laniw; kanti lina lihlala phakathi kwethux? 23 Ngakho-ke liqalekisiwey, njalo kakuyikuqunywa phakathi kwenu izigqiliz labagamuli benkuni labakhi bamanzi bendlu kaNkulunkulu wamia. 24 Basebephendula uJoshuwa bathi: Ngoba kwatshelwa lokutshelwa ezincekwini zakho ukuthi iNkosi uNkulunkulu wakho yalaya uMozisi inceku yayo ukulinika ilizwe lonke lokuchitha bonke abakhileyo belizwe phambi kwenub. Ngakho sesaba kakhulu ngempilo yethu ngenxa yenu. Yikho senze le intoc. 25 Khathesi-ke, khangela, sesisesandleni sakho; yenza njengokulungileyo lanjengokuqondileyo emehlweni akho ukukwenza kithid. 26 Ngakho wenza njalo kubo, wabophula esandleni sabantwana bakoIsrayeli, ukuze bangababulali. 27 UJoshuwa wasebenza ngalolosuku baba ngabagamuli benkuni labakhi bamanzi benhlangano, labelathi leNkosi, kuze kube lamuhlae, endaweni ezayikhethaf.